Though separated geographically only by a narrow highway, residents of the Jewish town of Zichron Ya’akov and the Israeli Arab town of Fureidis maintain very little contact. The differences in language, culture, and socio-economic status create an invisible barrier between the two towns, breeding stereotypes and suspicion instead of understanding and cooperation.
But this spring, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) led a unique workshop series for social workers from both towns. The goal was to bridge these gaps, and help them – as social-work professionals – understand the importance of protecting the rights of all members of society.
The series also marked an important milestone: It was the first meeting in Israel between Arab and Jewish social workers specifically to discuss human rights.
Twenty social workers (twelve from Zichron and eight from Fureidis) from each town’s Office of Social Welfare gathered in six sessions this spring to explore how their day-to-day work broaches various human rights, including the right to privacy, the right to health, and the right to family.
The conference was part of ACRI’s program entitled “The Social Welfare Sector Advances Rights” for municipal social workers throughout the country. Social workers have considerable influence over people’s lives and fates; they must preserve their clients’ dignity and respect the right of clients to make decisions about their own lives. At the same time, social workers must realize their rights within the client-professional relationship.
Two facilitators from ACRI, one Jewish and one Arab, pushed participants to respond to hard questions about the relationship between human rights and their work, as well as the relationship between their two communities. Meeting at first in separate local delegations, and then all together, participants tackled such questions as how to reconcile conflicts between rights (for instance the rights of a parent and the rights of a child), and whether social workers can be advocates for policy change and equality on a large scale. Participants discovered that the language of rights is appropriate not only in the legal realm, but in the social welfare realm as well.
The process wasn’t easy, according to Lilach Bar, ACRI’s Coordinator for Community Education. In addition to the cultural and language differences, participants found it difficult to overcome socio-economic and political discrepancies. Fureidis, an Arab town in Israel, struggles with poverty and crime. Though its residents are Israeli citizens, many feel that the Israeli government’s unequal funding of Arab villages limits residents’ opportunities. Zichron is an upper-class community, a popular holiday destination, and home to several posh wineries.
Yet, the discussion of human rights within the context of social work created a common language through which participants could see the similar challenges facing the two communities. After all, many of the everyday issues they address – broken families, mental illness, children’s developmental issues – affect every community, regardless of culture and economic standing, Bar said.
Additionally, many of the participants understood that reframing the language of the problem would help expand the opportunity for sustainable solutions. “When social workers use the language of rights, rather than the language of needs, they come to see the situation of their clients in a completely different light,” said Bar. “Suddenly, the people we work with feel empowered to advocate for themselves, to articulate their situation, and stand up for their rights.”
Imad Abd-Algheni, Director of the Fureidis Department of Social Services, agreed. “The conference gave us a new perspective on our work,” he said. “Now we can look through the lenses of human rights at the many problems that we deal with. For example, we learned how to write letters in a way that takes into account people’s rights. This will be very helpful for us.”
In the final meeting, the two local councils’ directors discussed the role of human rights in municipal government. Both delegations agreed to design specialized projects to implement the ideas they had discussed in the workshops. The social workers from Zichron pledged to work with childhood educators on the subject of human rights. The delegation from Fureidis said the knowledge they gained from the workshops would help the girls they work with become more independent and articulate in realizing their rights.
